In an exclusive interview, US undersecondary of state for economic affairs Jacob Helberg defended Washington’s sudden restrictions on foreign access to Anthropic’s cutting-edge models, stating, “We do not want cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure or the critical infrastructure of our allies.” Helberg leads the Pax Silica initiative, which counts 22 other nations plus the European Union as signatories. In early June, the Department of Commerce barred foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models on unspecified national security grounds; access was restored three weeks later. Under Pax Silica, members work to develop semiconductors and boost AI-related supply chains, with reducing “coercive dependencies” listed as a key objective. To address security concerns, the White House on Tuesday launched Gold Eagle, a clearing house to coordinate identification of cyber vulnerabilities with leading US AI firms. Helberg argued that America’s private sector offers a strong path to technological leadership, contrasting it with China’s state-led approach of government-funded and government-operated projects.